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A Colorado police officer has been convicted in connection to the August 2019 death of Elijah McClain. As The Shade Room previously reported, the 23-year-old passed away while in police custody.
Additionally, a second former officer has been acquitted of all charges in connection to McClain’s death, as per CNN.
According to CNN, on Thursday, Randy Roedema was convicted of “criminally negligent homicide and assault” in connection to McClain’s death. It’s important to note that Roedema has remained an Aurora, Colorado, police officer since McClain’s passing. However, Roedema is currently suspended.
Meanwhile, former officer Jason Rosenblatt was acquitted of all charges related to McClain’s passing. The charges included “reckless manslaughter and assault,” per CNN.
USA Today notes that Rosenblatt was fired from the force in 2020 after reportedly replying “HaHa” to a photo he received via text that reportedly reenacted McClain’s death by chokehold.
According to the outlet, a 12-person jury reached the verdict after deliberating for 16 hours over three days.
According to CNN, Roedema’s attorney, Reid Elkus, comforted the officer’s wife after the verdict was read. Elkus reportedly told the woman that Roedema “may not go to jail.”
“He’s OK. He’s OK. It’s not mandatory,” the attorney reportedly told Roedema’s wife.
The outlet adds that Roedema is scheduled to appear for sentencing on January 5, 2024. According to 9News, Roedema faces up to six years in prison if convicted.
USA Today notes that Roedema and Rosenblatt are the “first two of five police officers and paramedics” who will stand trial in connection to McClain’s death. According to CNN, suspended officer Nathan Woodyard and suspended paramedics Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec will go to trial in the upcoming weeks. The outlet adds that all parties have pled not guilty to their charges.
Sheneen McClain, McClain’s mother, spoke with 9News following the officers’ verdict.
“This is not justice…
This is a misuse of taxpayer’s money,” the mother explained to 9News. “Right is right, and wrong is wrong, and when you continue to allow the type of injustice that happened to my son — there’s so much to work on. There’s no way we’re gonna get to unity…”
Additionally, McClain explained that she feels the potential six-year prison sentence that possibly awaits Roedema is “not enough.”
“No it’s not enough [because] Roedema wasn’t alone in what he did to my son, he had accomplices — he had buddies with badges that are all bullies,” McClain continued. “So it’s not a victory for me, and no matter how they try to clean up their slate, they still have my son’s blood on their hands.”
In contrast to McClain’s statements, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser is hopeful Thursday’s verdict can be a “sign of healing” for the Aurora community and beyond.
“Everyone in Colorado, everyone in the United States, no matter who you are, is accountable under the law. Hopefully today’s verdict can be a sign for healing for the Aurora community and for our state,” Weiser reportedly stated, per CNN.
As The Shade Room previously reported, Elijah McClain was stopped by police while walking home from a convenience store on August 24, 2019. Authorities had reportedly received a call about a “suspicious person wearing a ski mask.”
According to CNN, the officers “wrestled” McClain to the ground and placed him in a “carotid hold.” The U.S. Department of Justice cites a carotid hold as a “restraint technique” that “restricts blood flow to the brain, causing temporary unconsciousness.”
CNN notes that officers reportedly told McClain to stop resisting their commands 34 times. However, as previously reported by The Shade Room, McClain apologized to officers and allegedly told them repeatedly that he couldn’t breathe as the arrest took place.
McClain was injected with “powerful sedative ketamine” and reportedly suffered a heart attack while transported to a hospital. The 23-year-old reportedly passed away three days later, per CNN.
As The Shade Room previously reported, the dosage of ketamine that McClain received “resulted in an overdose,” per a coroner’s report released in 2022.
Additionally, the report noted that McClain “would most likely be alive” if he had not been given the ketamine. However, the autopsy also cited “no evidence that injuries inflicted by the police contributed to” McClain’s death.
